Cellar Notes

WHENLOOKING for a refreshing wine that pairs well with almost any meal, try , a red wine from the Piedmont region in the northwestern corner of Italy. Slightly tart (from acidity) while also slightly astringent (from tannin), a good nebbiolo seems to draw the saliva from the sides of your cheeks.

The most famous of nebbiolos are known as Barolo—but these wines, while great, often come with a hefty price tag. Barbaresco, named for a nearby municipality in Piedmont, is another version that’s generally just as good but significantly cheaper. When shopping for these tasty wines, also keep an eye out for the “Nebbiolo Langhe,” a more affordable bottling hailing from the larger Tanaro River Valley, which includes the smaller growing regions of Barolo and Barbaresco.